Fibroids are a common growth of muscle in the uterus, occurring in one out of every four women. Symptoms caused by fibroids include heavy menstrual bleeding, menstrual pain, and pelvic pressure. Myomectomy is the removal of fibroids without removing the uterus. Doctors have traditionally offered myomectomy to women who desire to preserve the possibility of pregnancy. In the past, this procedure has been done only by an open abdominal incision. This open approach requires a several day hospital stay and recovery time similar to hysterectomy. It is now possible to remove many fibroids by Laparoscopy (telescope through the belly button) or Hysteroscopy (telescope through the vagina and cervix). The approach used depends on the location of the fibroid(s). These two techniques now make myomectomy a reasonable option for many women who do not necessarily desire future pregnancy, as outpatient surgery is possible with a greatly shortened recovery time. It is best not to remove fibroids that are not causing symptoms unless the fibroids are large and the woman wants pregnancy at some time in the future. Fibroids become malignant in one out of a thousand cases. This risk is less than the risk of death from hysterectomy, estimated at one to two per thousand. Therefore, the risks of surgery outweigh the benefits in cases where the fibroids are not causing symptoms. |
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